Arnold Allen extended his unbeaten UFC run to eight fights at UFC On ABC 2 with a unanimous decision victory over Sodiq Yusuff.
Round One:
Allen moving on the outside as Yusuff stalks him. Yusuff attempts a body kick and Allen utilizes that to lands an early takedown.
Yusuff trying to work his way back up against the cage, but Allen is staying on him and preventing that for the time being.
Yusuff working a guillotine choke attempt and goes all-in on it, but Allen scrambles out and the fight goes back to the feet.
Yusuff with lots of pressure here and starts to let his offense go, but Allen isn’t easy to hit. Allen with a left hand and Yusuff fires back.
Cuffing left hook from Allen. Another left hand lands and Yusuff staggers backwards to the mat hurt. He quickly regains his composure though and they continue on the feet.
Allen works into the clinch against the cage. Knee from Yusuff. They trade a couple of body punches. Nice elbow from Allen and then steps back to striking range.
Body kick for Yusuff and Allen counters with a right hand to end the round.
Round Two:
Leg kick for Yusuff. Push kick for Allen to keep his opponent at bay. Head kick attempt from Yusuff and then tries to follow-up. He does land a few punches there.
Sneaky uppercut from Allen. jab for Yusuff. Nice jab for Allen. Double jab from Yusuff. Another lands.
Jab for Allen but then misses on an overhand. Yusuff misses a front kick upstairs. jab and body punch for Allen.
Leg kick from Yusuff and Allen almost caught that to work for a takedown. Big head kick from Allen and there’s a delayed reaction and then Yusuff wobbles. Allen had fallen from the contact though so doesn’t immediately capitalize on it.
Somehow Yusuff survives and the fight continues. Good powers of recovery from Yusuff who has been rocked twice in this fight now.
Powerful leg kick from Yusuff and then works into the clinch. Allen marches forwards though and walks right over to the other side of the Octagon.
Knee to the body from Allen. He lands another and then goes back to striking range. He attempts another head kick attempt that’s blocked. He goes back to that technique straight away, but Yusuff stops it.
Round Three:
Yusuff immediately pressing into close range and clinches up, but Allen turns him into the cage and is working for a takedown.
Yusuff frames to get some space and attempts a head kick, but it’s blocked. Allen working a takedown attempt, but Yusuff sprawls nicely.
Yusuff stands looking for a guillotine choke, but Allen gets out of that and is driving back into another takedown attempt against the cage. Yusuff stuffing it again though.
Another clinch situation here with Yusuff pressing Allen into the cage. He attempts a takedown of his own, but Allen prevents it.
Back to striking range they go. Uppercut from Yusuff. Allen moving on the outside. He lands a couple of punches and then Allen clinches up again and tries for the takedown, but again Yusuff shrugs that off and now presses him up against the cage.
Two minutes remaining. Knees to the leg from Yusuff from the clinch. He likely needs a finish though so he needs to make something big happen here.
Hammerfist to the leg from Yusuff. Now foot stomps. Allen pushes away from the cage. He looks for the thai clinch and lands a knee to the body. Now he pushes Yusuff up against the cage.
45 seconds to go. Allen happy to just tick down the clock from this position. He’s thinking about a takedown and Yusuff lands a few elbows to the head as he does so.
Final 10 seconds and Allen breaks away and lands a spinning elbow before the final bell.
Decision:
Yusuff made this one competitive, but Allen surprised him by rocking him twice on the feet and that helped him on his way to a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
